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Messages - ConscriptFive

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721
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Winter 1945 (Revision Phase)
« on: September 12, 2018, 07:46:44 am »
I have two big problems with the 'Blackcat.'  One, making it an aerial munition screws us if we lose air superiority again.  Two, there's so much gallows humor you could do with naming landmines, and you chose something as boring as Blackcat (a fireworks namebrand)?  Christ, we're even using them against supposed pirates.  'Pegleg,' 'Eyepatch,' and 'Captain Hook,' would have been my go-tos.

I still like my Ribeye, but for the sake of being a team player, here's a different version of the 'Blackcat.'

UF-MRLS-46 Diana Mine Deploying MRLS Rocket
The UF-MRLS-46 Diana is a mine deploying MRLS rocket deployed by our Artemis MRLS.  If artillery is truely the King of Battle, surely that leaves room for a Princess.  A heavily modified firecracker round fitted to an Artemis rocket, this Lady can scatter a variety of Forenian AP and AT mines at a distance.  If possible, the AP mines should have non-metallic cases, to make them lighter, with wood being the obvious substitute if synthetics like rubber or Bakelite are unavailable.  These AP mines should have "Treasure Inside" written on the outside of the case to further entice Cannalans to interact with them.

Because Diana is just the Roman version of Artemis right?

I would have preferred my favorite airdropped AP landmine, the Russian PFM-1, (a ripoff of the otherwise unused NATO BLU-43) but that's probably too divergent tech-wise to stretch for a revision.  If you ever see one though, they are oddly captivating and you just have to squeeze and play with it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PFM-1

Quote from: Votebox
UF-RPGM-46 Ribeye Recoiless Rifle Motorcycle Sidecar: (3) NAV, Kot, ConscriptFive
UF-MAD-45 'Blackcat': (4) Madman, Happerry, eS, Stabby
UF-MRLS-46 'Diana' Mine Deploying MRLS Rocket: (0)

722
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Production Phase
« on: September 06, 2018, 10:21:24 am »
Yeah, I've been rethinking the balloon offer too.  Too much of our support to the ground effort is based on those 4 squadrons for us to give them away so cheaply.  Every time we "1 fighter, 1 balloon" a theater, that's literally half our support.  To not get credit for that, in return for a measly 2PP maint reduction seems like a weak trade.  At least full maint (currently 4 PP) would be more fair of a trade, otherwise forget it.

As for the Air Mail Service, here's a more developed version:

His Majesty's Royal Post Air Mail Service [Remedial and Reserve Pilots Version]

As previously justified, the VSC proposes establishing a Air Mail Service for His Majesty's Royal Post.  Per the Postmaster General's recommendation, Postmasters will be placed at key VSC aerodromes, to accept and receive Registered First Class mail.  The VSC recommends to the Postmaster General to allow of portion of the service to be available to the public at a considerable upcharge, so as to cover operational costs. The VSC also recommends to the Postmaster General releasing new postage stamps with the VSC insignia for the use and promotion of the new Air Mail Service.  (Surely they will become collectable among stamp collectors.)  As a trial service, the VSC pledges at least one demilitarized Rhino squadron dedicated full time to delivering air mail between VSC aerodromes.

As these tightly scheduled 'milk runs' will occur in rear and interior areas beyond the reach of hostile aircraft, this non-combat squadron will be staffed with aviators on 'Reserve' status and pay.  The VSC Reserve will be staffed by VSC personnel discharged from combat deployment for medical or other hardship.  This allows honorably discharged VSC veterans opportunity to serve King and Country as their hardship permits.  (Surely this status will not be exploited by chickenhawk political scions looking to avoid the front lines.)  VSC pilot trainees who graduate with passing but marginal scores may be placed on Reserve status, attaining further flight hours in non-combat operations, prior to being eventually re-evaluated for a proper combat assignment.  Overall, this should ensure that replacements and newly formed VSC combat squadrons begin at a slightly higher level of general aviation proficiency.

I think that proposes enough but also leave enough wiggle room for GM to play with.  Ideally: civilian revenue covers squadron maint, we get public relations prestige from the service + sweet ass stamp (remember stamp collecting was still a massive hobby back then), and new pilot xp.  Even if that does go through, I'm assuming the GM is going to demand more/better squadrons in about a year as the service grows, which is probably a good way to balance this mechanic.  I'm also assuming it's going to be a fully offmap asset.  Having the option to shut down air mail for a month and a half to push obsolete unarmed planes to the front sounds like a catastrophic blunder.  I noted that it's just one version in the title, in case somebody else has another idea of how to do it.

Quote from: Decision Votebox
Army Negotiations:
Draft counter offers (0):
Accept the bill as-is (4): Thanik, Piratejoe, Jerick, ConscriptFive
Navy Negotiations:
Draft counter offers (0):
Accept the bill as-is (4): Thanik, Piratejoe, Jerick, ConscriptFive
Artillery Officer:
Give them all the balloons in exchange for more funding right away (2): Thanik, Jerick
-- Apologize for not addressing this earlier (4): Thanik, Piratejoe, Jerick, ConscriptFive
Give them balloon command at 1/2 maintenance cost (0):
Don't give them the balloons (0): [Why would you choose this?]
Counter Offer "Full Price" (3): eS, Piratejoe73, ConscriptFive
Bertrand Laruse:
Accept the Offer on Behest of the Crown (4): Thanik, Piratejoe73, Jerick, ConscriptFive
-- His Majesty's Royal Post Air Mail Service [Remedial and Reserve Pilots Version] (1): ConscriptFive

Get imprisoned for treason Stand down the Offer (0):

723
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Winter 1945 (Design Phase)
« on: September 05, 2018, 02:43:26 pm »
Just reworked the Ribeye Recoilless up top.  http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=163937.msg7847308#msg7847308

155mm is ginormously huge.  That size was chosen because it was originally supposed to have some guidance, which got scrapped as a Revision Phase design.  The Carl Gustaf today does fine at 84mm, and 106mm were about as big as they got.  We've made enough warheads by now that a 90mm HEAT round should be able to crack an MBT fine.  Better to keep the system lighter with more reloads than carry that much overkill.  I made explicit the gun can be traversed by being on a short tripod.  Sorry for those oversights.

724
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Winter 1945 (Design Phase)
« on: September 05, 2018, 10:56:46 am »
Since all we're in an "counting chickens before they hatch" mood, here's a revision.  Our infantry still don't have an AT weapon.  To hold the mountains outside our capital, lighter vehicles are going to be key.  (See how our Sarukh rocket artillery has evolved role-wise into a pack artillery mountain gun.)  If we hold the desert but lose the mountains, street fighting in our capital is going to choke heavier vehicles as well.

The Canners put out a modern ATGM system, but it hasn't been getting much love because it's too immobile hunt and then evade targets.

So...

UF-RPGM-46 Ribeye Recoiless Rifle Motorcycle Sidecar

The classic AS-M17A motorcycle sidecar has been stripped of its MG and passenger.  It its place, a single 1 1.5 meter long recoiless rifle launcher and two several additional rocket shell reloads for roughly the same weight.  The launcher is on a short tripod that can be aimed, fired, and reloaded from the motorcycle seat with some leaning and reaching.  The Ribeye is a 155 90 mm diameter projectile with a 6 3 kg HEAT warhead.  The Ribeye is designed to ambush modern MBT's, namely the M4A1 Bull, from any aspect for a first shot kill.  The launcher includes a Eagle Sight style 4x optical scope.  What appears to be a bayonet lug has been hastily sketched onto the design document.

It's unconventional, but dirt cheap, tank destroyer that can be fielded in any terrain as well as being air dropped by Trustfall parachutes.  Tech-wise, I'm trying to go for an M67 recoilless rifle, but with a longer tube for better range.

725
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Production Phase
« on: September 04, 2018, 03:38:12 pm »
I think divesting of "lighter than air" in favor of winged flight is the way to go.  Unless somebody really wants to push for airships, selling off the spotter balloons to the Artillery Corps seems like good way to streamline us in that regard.

Quote from: Decision Votebox
Army Negotiations:
Draft counter offers (0):
Accept the bill as-is (4): Thanik, Piratejoe, Jerick, ConscriptFive
Navy Negotiations:
Draft counter offers (0):
Accept the bill as-is (4): Thanik, Piratejoe, Jerick, ConscriptFive
Artillery Officer:
Give them all the balloons in exchange for more funding right away (4): Thanik, Piratejoe, Jerick, ConscriptFive
-- Apologize for not addressing this earlier (4): Thanik, Piratejoe, Jerick, ConscriptFive
Give them balloon command at 1/2 maintenance cost (0):
Don't give them the balloons (0): [Why would you choose this?]
Bertrand Laruse:
Accept the Offer on Behest of the Crown (4): Thanik, Piratejoe73, Jerick, ConscriptFive
Get imprisoned for treason Stand down the Offer (0):

726
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Production Phase
« on: September 02, 2018, 07:24:07 pm »
My bad, was thinking Cassowary but said Emu for some reason.

727
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Production Phase
« on: September 02, 2018, 03:14:33 pm »
...Going to be awhile since apparently the KPAF has switched to real-time turns and we still have to get through the OxSlayer and Kingfisher.

But why did VRAC move away from bird names?  The Lion really should be another flightless bird, with Ostrich or Emu being the obvious picks.  Kiwi if you want to keep it weird.


728
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: an Arms Race Game - Early Summer 1916
« on: September 01, 2018, 01:18:19 pm »
...still at Council?  Who knew Communism was so inefficient?

729
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Intercontinental Arms Race: Winter 1945 (Design Phase)
« on: August 31, 2018, 08:30:09 pm »
Ok, so bottom line up front is that if we don't put out cheaper air-to-air fighter this turn, we literally lose the game in two turns.

Assuming we don't blow our revision roll, the eS's Guillotine AAM for design, then fix the VVF Q (again) for revision would be the most efficient.  But's that's a huge assumption that we won't blow the second roll and basically checkmate ourselves.  So as a safety measure, I'm arguing our first roll should be a cheap fighter.  That way, even even we blow the design roll, we still can either fix it in revision, or try to fix the VVF Q (again).

I'm bothered by the Hayat in several regards:  How do you do a bi-fuel or flex-fuel engine without OnBoard Diagnostics (OBD) and Engine Control Unit (ECU) computers?  How do you also make a higher octane fuel mix for that also works in a VVF Q engine, that somehow doesn't cost more oil?  A revolutionary fuel mix like that (some kind of biofuel additive?) could easily be its own revision.  Speaking of, a "short noose" AAM really should be its own revision as well.  If you're looking to save on cost and weight, twin 30mm is still overkill.  Only one hardpoint?  Even assuming all or most of this works, the fighter ends up being either redundant role wise with the VVF Q, or becomes a third-tier cannon-fodder role in air-to-air fighting (not necessarily bad, but seems like a super short-term investment.)  Finally, making the GM add any new aeronautical tech himself as opposed to writing it in the proposal bothers my geek sensibilities.

So here we go...

UFAF-F-45 "Galileo" Multi-Role Fighter

The UFAF-F-45 "Galileo" Multi-Role Fighter is a twin seater medium-performance turbojet fighter with limited air to ground capabilities.  With the Lightning well past its end of service, and the VVF Q still under-delivering, the new Lancer medium-performance fighter has effectively shut down our ground support aircraft and opened our skies to an onslaught of their rotary aircraft.  For this reason, the Galileo aims to immediately replace the obsolete Lightning, as well as assist the aging Haast in ground support.  However, the Galileo remains enough of a generalist to leave room for a proper "Turbohaast" in the CAS role or optimized VVF Q in the air superiority role for the future UFAF order of battle.

The Galileo is similar in size and shape to the VVF Q, with aluminum where possible to control weight.  The nose is dominated by the latest Deadliest Ray RADAR.  To make room for an extended twin-seat inline cockpit, the gunnery is a modest but adequate single 30mm cannon atop the nose.  The rear seat adds a Co-Pilot/Technical Officer, to the Galileo, able to manage full-time the included bevy of RADAR, radio, and countermeasure systems necessary in a modern fighter craft.  This crucial division of labor should greatly improve aviator situational awareness and reaction time in combat.  Eschewing the overly exotic VVF aT-J30 or problematic VVF Q aT-J30-Q, the aircraft is powered by a single Iceberg aT-J40 engine with an afterburner.  Intended to also engage lower speed rotary aircraft, the Galileo features improved airbrakes over the Lightning, as well as introduces a leading edge 'Dogtooth' extension on each wing followed by a hydraulically powered leading-edge slat more towards the wingtip.  Furthermore, the wings also feature slotted flaps on the trailing-edge for additional low speed lift options.

In terms or armaments, the Galileo includes the aforementioned single 30mm cannon in the nose and two wingtip AAM launch rails.  Under the fuselage, is a wet hardpoint, allowing a third AAM, drop tanks, or one metric ton of unguided conventional bombs (such as the Firecracker cluster munition).

So yeah, it's a two-seater F-5, or F-16.  (Or maybe a MiG-21 Fishbed if you like Warsaw Pact hardware.)  A kickass but under-budget generalist fighter, designed not to step on the F-15's turf, but can also bomb when the air is too contested for an A-10.  You think I threw enough tech appropriate wing control surfaces on there to make it slow enough to gun down a helicopter and bomb a tank? (j/k)  As designed, it also has slightly better armaments than a Lancer, plus it has the bomb payload of the Haast.  (Though the Haast should still be more accurate in CAS because it's slower.)  The co-pilot should give it a combat advantage, because we're so reliant on the timely spotting of AAM's and deployment of countermeasures.  Plus hey, companionship morale boost!  Gotta fist-bump somebody after a sweet kill.

Quote from: Votebox
UFAF-F-45 'Hayat': (1) Madman
UFAF-AAM-45 'Guillotine': (0)
UFAF-F-45 'Galileo' Multi-Role Fighter: (1) ConscriptFive

730
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Production Phase
« on: August 27, 2018, 11:26:32 am »

Quote from: Strategy Vote
(4) Operation Pain Without End But It Looks Neater: eS, Piratejoe, Thanik, ConscriptFive
Navy Bid Decision:
-- The Issue on the Table --
'Kingfisher' Proposal (3): Thanik, eS, ConscriptFive
Torpedo Bomber Proposal (0):

I still think the AD truck is a really dangerous tangent we could get stuck on.  Do we want to be responsible for building ground forces and systems?  Are we going to be developing and fielding acoustic "war tuba" locators next? ( https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/aircraft-detection-radar-1917-1940/ )  When the KPAF get AD trucks, can we develop paracommandos to take them out?  What about security forces detachments to protect those systems for when the KPAF start building paracommandos?  Oh yeah, what about construction battallions (CB's) to build and expand aerodromes?  Surely we could stick the Barnett V12 into a pretty sweet bulldozer.

Anyways, are AD trucks going to be as interesting as balloons are now?  (Single mission squadrons plopped in a theater almost as an afterthought.)

I generally think ground systems should stay as something almost entirely on the GM side, as that's more feature-bloat and micro-managing than I think we want to handle.

731
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Production Phase
« on: August 24, 2018, 07:56:49 am »
@GM, something I noticed is that when Squire 2 went on PR, they dropped their guns.  When they got converted to a photorecon squadron, their guns were never re-added to the squadron equipment.  Unless Alderic gave them away as autographed souvenirs, I'm assuming that was a clerical error.

Quote from: Plan: Hey There's a Northern Front
Summary:
Unfortunately, the KPAF's focus on air superiority fighters means we still won't be able to match them air-to-air this turn no matter how we reorganize (best case 4 LES + 1 Emu vs. 7 + 2 Feathers).  Fortunately for us, their anarchist peasant minds can only fathom en masse human wave attacks upon Dreidansk.  Rather than feed the barbarian horde, we will use our ground support squadrons to establish flanking positions in the neglected mountains (enabled by warm weather), and the neglected Zydinah.  We will give ground in Dreidansk, which is inevitable even if we attempted to go toe-to-toe with the horde.  Next turn, we'll bomb out the crossings at the Koldan River, and pressure their logistics train from the North at Jawanin and Kemilov, enabling encirclement of the horde.

*Same purchase and reorg as the "Pain" plan(s)*
(recap) 3 Rhinos => 3 Swallows, Great Emu 500lb bombing setup, last 1 PP to upgrade Alderic's Squadron with the new engine

Deployments

Northern Front
Derboise Task Force:
 - Lancer 1 (Alderic).  Aerial Superiority.  If no enemy, perform recon.
 - Knight 1. Bombing towards Derboise and Jawanin.
 - Squire 1. Photorecon targets for Knight 1.
 - Rook 1. Artillery Spotting.


Central front
Estwice/Dreidansk Task Force:
 - Lancer 3.  Defensive Patrols around Dreidansk. If no enemy, perform recon.
 - Lancer 4.  Defensive Patrols around Dreidansk. If no enemy, perform recon.
 - Knight 3.  Aerial Superiority around Zydinah. If no enemy, perform recon.
 - Squire 2.  Photo Recon for advance on Zydinah.
 - Rook 2.  Artillery Spotting around Dreidansk.
 - Rook 3.  Artillery Spotting for advance on Zyndinah.

Southern Front
Basselton Task Force:
 - Lancer 2.  Aerial Superiority.  If no enemy, perform recon.
 - Rook 4.  Artillery Spotting.
Naval Combat Task Force:
 - Knight 2.  Naval Bombing Raids. Balloon Busting as targets of opportunity.


If we don't get scrap credit for the grenades, I'd say drop the engine upgrade for Lancer 1.  From the BR, it looks like they're assigning their air superiority directly to objectives (the fighters going from Estwich to Dreidansk).  If so, Zydinah should be a fairly unopposed push.  But Dreidansk is going to be a bloodbath, so I put the bombers, recon, and Alderic somewhere where they wouldn't get massacred.

Back to the War Council.  The tracers giveaway is basically a freebie so why not.  Not sure it'll be enough, so I'm keeping the Air Mail bid.  Also, Air Mail could also appeal to both services, relaying orders from the capital to the naval ports as well.  I noted it under the Navy column now just for easier calculus.  I'm abstaining on the torpedo bomber, because pledging a third project would just about lock up all our projects until the next annual War Council (8 turns), and it looks like the 500lb bomb could do the torpedo job anyways.

Quote
War Council Votes

Keep Current Bargain with Army for Autonomy Bid - .60 cal Ox Slayer HMG Project Pledge and V12 Motors Partnership (3) ConscriptFive, Piratejoe, eS
-and AD Truck (0)
-and Air Mail Service (2) ConscriptFive, Piratejoe
-and Aero-Ambulance (0)
-Tracers (2) eS, Conscriptfive

Bargaining Package with Navy for Autonomy Bid
-V.K-A "Kingfisher" Project Pledge (3) ConscriptFive, Piratejoe73, eS
-Emu Anti-Warship Bombing Pledge (4) ConscriptFive, Piratejoe73, eS, Sensei
-Torpedo Bomber Pledge (2) Sensei, eS
-and Air Mail Service (2) ConscriptFive, Piratejoe
-and Aero-Ambulance (0)

732
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Revision Phase
« on: August 22, 2018, 11:52:08 am »
Hmm, guess we're not quite there yet after all.  As much as I'd like the "sense of accomplishment" from the Autonomy Acheivement, I'm really hoping the improved budget is going to pay off.  ;D

I'm assuming the Navy is going to be similarly demanding, so I scaled up our Emu vs. DD pledge to three kills per PJ's suggestion.  Also, here's two more ideas we can trade to the War Council.

War Council Pledge: His Majesty's Royal Post Air Mail Service
As quick as telegraphs and telephones are for communicating vital orders, good luck trying to relay a map, battle plan, or photograph on them.  Current Royal Post Services by railcar can take days for even First Class mail to be delivered.  Thus the VSC proposes establishing a Air Mail Service for His Majesty's Royal Post.  Postmasters will be placed at key VSC aerodromes, to accept and receive registered mail.  As a trial service, the VSC pledges at least one Rhino squadron dedicated full time to delivering air mail between VSC aerodromes.

War Council Pledge: Aero-Ambulance Squadron
As the Great War drags on, plenty of fine officers are dying of wounds that could only be fully treated at a formal hospital.  As fast as our stretcher-bearers are, sometimes they're just not fast enough.  Thus the VSC proposes an Aero-Ambulance Squadron.  At least one squadron of two-seater Emu's will be demilitarized, re-painted, declared over diplomatic channels as official Law of War protected ambulances.  The VSC will provide a building at a centralized aerodrome (of the Army Medical Corps choosing) for conversion to a surgical hospital for receiving these casualties.

Both are actual aerial services and provide valuable support to the war effort.  Maybe we could even open them up to the civilian market for prestige.  But offering both with our existing offer is probably overkill.  Of these two, I'd favor the mail service.  As a gamer, Rhinos are cheaper than Emus, plus it gives us a role to retire them into.  As a narrativist, something casualty focused might be a bit too morbid for Arms Race writing.  (Either service we can later upgrade to Kingfishers for direct flights to the capital plus more capacity.)

Quote
War Council Votes

Keep Current Bargain with Army for Autonomy Bid - .60 cal Ox Slayer HMG Project Pledge and V12 Motors Partnership (2) ConscriptFive, Piratejoe
-and AD Truck (0)
-and Air Mail Service (1) ConscriptFive
-and Aero-Ambulance (0)

Bargaining Package with Navy for Autonomy Bid
-V.K-A "Kingfisher" Project Pledge (3) ConscriptFive, Piratejoe73, eS
-Emu Anti-Warship Bombing Pledge (4) ConscriptFive, Piratejoe73, eS, Sensei
-Torpedo Bomber Pledge (1) Sensei

733
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Revision Phase
« on: August 20, 2018, 01:28:06 pm »
Getting my votes in.  Remember, we get four revisions this phase.

I think I gave enough of my thoughts on the revisions yesterday, so I won't textwall you guys on that again.

Quote
Revision Votes

Barnett 1916 V12 'Swallow' Engine (1) ConscriptFive
Incandescent Ammunition Revision (1) ConscriptFive
Lesser European Swallow Manueverability Improvements (0)
Barnett Weight Reduction (0)
Sky Crusader Armour (0)
JTT Penetrator Aerial Munition *NEW NAME 500 lb Stroke of Fury* (1) ConscriptFive
Bull's Eye Aerial Gunnery Ring Sight (1) ConscriptFive

Per PJ's critique, I'm assuming we're going to squeeze at least 10 more lbs of extra payload out of the Great Emu this turn so I rounded the bomb off to a nice even 500 lbs.  I generally agree that naming conventions are important for establishing themes, so I found a new name for the bomb that keeps the "fury" series going while still being vaguely suggestive enough to keep the original joke.

So War Council, Phase Two.

There's adage in business: "Once you make the sale, stop talking!"  With the Ox Slayer HMG and V12 Motors Partnership, we got 2/3rds of the Army.  My understanding is that we just need a simple majority from each service.  We already got their vote, so trying to give them more stuff, like an AD truck, is just a waste now.  Rescinding our original offer to something lesser could make us look untrustworthy, and is the exact opposite of how haggling works.  The KPAF isn't even bombing (yet), so why would they care about AA guns?  They're happy with that original offer, so let's shake hands with the Army, and figure out a package for the Navy.

While I was hoping they'd bite on the Ox Slayer HMG, the Kingfisher seaplane is something the Navy has to love.  It eats up another project, and we'll only build 1 or maybe 2 squadrons of them, but at least it'll sort out the voice radio for us tech-wise.  Strategy-wise, it should enable our Emu bombers to hunt ships just like the Rhino-P enables them on land, so they'll stay relevant for our operations.  I'd also pitch to the Navy that even in peacetime it'll be great for Coast Guard duties: spotting lifeboats and smuggler ships from the air and radio dispatching fast boats to intercept.  As for a second bargaining chip, I propose something we were going to do anyways:

War Council Proposal: Emu Anti-Warship Bombing Pledge

"After the VSC first series of engagements against the KPN, the VSC withdrew to develop more deadly aerial munitions.  With these cutting edge munitions soon to be fielded, the VSC pledges to immediately dedicate a squadron of our highly-esteemed Great Emu bombers to hunting KPN warships.  This assignment will continue until at least one destroyer is three destroyers are sunk by the VSC."

Quote
War Council Votes

Keep Current Bargain with Army for Autonomy Bid - .60 cal Ox Slayer HMG Project Pledge and V12 Motors Partnership (1) ConscriptFive

Bargaining Package with Navy for Autonomy Bid
-V.K-A "Kingfisher" Project Pledge (1) ConscriptFive
-Emu Anti-Warship Bombing Pledge (1) ConscriptFive

734
Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Revision Phase
« on: August 19, 2018, 01:04:29 pm »
For the sake of organization, I'm putting together a votebox so we can keep track of what's out there.  Still not voting yet, in case any other revisions pop up.

Quote
Revision List
Barnett 1916 V12 'Swallow' Engine
Incandescent Ammunition Revision
Lesser European Swallow Manueverability Improvements
Barnett Weight Reduction
Sky Crusader Armour
JTT Penetrator Aerial Munition
Bull's Eye Aerial Gunnery Ring Sight

So comments/critiques/nitpicks down the line so far.

Barnett 1916 V12 'Swallow' Engine
Got to keep pushing that V12 hp. Nice technical write up too.

Incandescent Ammunition Revision
This is the tracer revision we desparately need.  Incendiary rounds are a good stretch objective too, especially because the KPAF somehow made them effective in a rifle round caliber.  The only nitpick I have is that the incendiary bullet placement pattern in the belt looks ugly AF.  I can't find a pretty way to make 5 or 10 work either, so why not 1 ball, 1 incendiary, 1 ball, 1 tracer?  We'll just keep our ammo counts in multiples of 20 rather than 10.

Lesser European Swallow Maneuverability Improvements
So the LES kinda flies like a brick with its metal frame.  Taking out the over-engineered struts is probably not a bad idea.  Could use more detail on what to do with the control surfaces though.  Maybe make them bigger?  Add some kind of mechanical advantage (levers or pulleys) so the pilot can crank them harder?  Do we have rudder pedals yet?

Barnett Weight Reduction
Yes, dropping engine weight would improve the thrust to weight ratio, but you don't say how.  Which engines parts are we making lighter and how?  How will that balance against engine performance too?  Feels kinda cheap to just throw that at the GM and make him figure it out.

Sky Crusader Armour
Hmm, as much as I loved NAV's original Sky Crusader Armour, it was timed for winter warfare in the mountains.  It's literally summer right now, so the timing is a bit off.  More importantly, just like last time it's getting derailed by having another revision stealthily shoe-horned in, the parachute.  An eight item clothing loadout should be its own revision.  (Do we get all eight items?  Do they even work? Do they fit pilots of all sizes? Are they hot, itchy, or otherwise uncomfortable?  Are they durable?  Are they expensive?  Are they demoralizingly ugly or pridefully badass looking?)  I think it's obvious a Heinecke-style chute like the KPAF have really should be a standalone revision.  http://www.historynet.com/heinecke-parachute-a-leap-of-faith-for-wwi-german-airmen.htm  Keep in mind we'll still need an ejector seat later for it to be effective on the Emus.

JTT Penetrator Aerial Munition
(This one is mine.)  Dirty jokes aside, this could bag us a destroyer this turn.  Hopefully that'll sway the Navy some more for the autonomy push.  To recap, the smallest aerial torpedo ever to get a kill was 800 lb, still not powerful enough to take a warship solo, and we're nowhere near that payload-wise, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Type_184.  (Those torpedo bombers could also only fly in the tranquil Mediterranean because they were basically overloaded and couldn't handle Atlantic winds and distances.)

Bull's Eye Aerial Gunnery Ring Sight
(Also mine.) A cheap way to try to balance the air-to-air gunnery fight this turn.  Also a hedge should we misroll tracers again.

Not revisions, but for the sake of completeness...

AD Truck proposal
Why is this still a thing?  Our V12 is probably too good for this.  Seems like a waste to develop a truck chassis and presumably a hand-crank operated quad gun turret we'll never use.  The Army is happy with the Motor Partnership already.  If you really want to economize on dice for the HMG, remember we can also bundle in incendiary ammo, disintegrating link belts, maybe twin-gun mounts, and probably better sights.  It's an end-game weapon so I'd rather get it perfect now and never have to tweak our machine guns further for the rest of the war.

Kingfisher proposal
I love it except for one nitpick.  The Crossguard-enabled front gun is unlikely to see any use.  The plane is by design unmanueverable, so it would never be able to line up a shot in a dogfight.  A Foster mount might see some use because it can swivel some, but it's really the tail gunner that's going to be doing the defensive shooting.  I'd either cut that front gun entirely, or at least downgrade it to an actually more useful Foster gun.

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Forum Games and Roleplaying / Re: Knights of the Skies: Verusa Thread - Early Summer 1916, Revision Phase
« on: August 18, 2018, 11:36:29 pm »
Quote from: Sensei on August 18, 2018, 10:20:29 pm
-Improve the Swallow's maneuvering
-Improve the Barnett's performance further, hopefully benefiting existing aircraft
-Get some parachutes!
-Implement the radio into some of our aircraft, Emus maybe
-Get tracers and/or incendiary ammunition
-Maybe some armor for our air crews

These in approximate order of priority. We only have four dice to work with, of course. Thoughts?

Hmm, so my wishlist in approx order of priority:
-Tracers *Thanik's should do fine*
-A means to sink the destroyer *See the 490 lb bomb I just proposed.  Not ideal, but otherwise a new plane is going to take ~3-5 turns to dev and field.  That's also a lot of PP I'd rather invest into Swallows right now.*
-Better guns *See the M2 Browning knockoff, the .60 cal Ox Slayer.  (Yes .50 cal is more practical, but then you lose the HorseKiller/Stallion tribute.)  We did a metal plane, they're probably going to field one now.  We'll need that firepower, and tripling our range is a huge improvement.  It's supposed to be an endgame weapon, so I'd be surprised if the GM gave it to us on a revision roll.  (The Soviet's didn't even get the Dshka debugged until 1938.)  Also makes sense to roll the guns you'd put on the bomber out first, so you don't compromise payload later.*
-Further V12 development *Anything can fly with enough power.  Mustangs and Spitfires started WW2 at about 1k hp V12's, and ended at 2k hp.  We've have to be persistent on this if we really want to keep pushing the tech.*
-Better instrumentation *Yeah it's nerdy, but I want an artificial horizon and six pack.  Instrument flying also = all weather and night bombing.  Great way to dodge air superiority is if you can fly when they can't.*
-Parachutes/Ejectors *Nerd point: the big reason nobody flies pushers is that you can't bail out of them without snagging on the propeller.  A Heinecke chute would work on the Rhino and Swallow, but not the Emus.  Basically the Emu's going to need ejector seats for chutes to work.*
-Better electrical systems *Going to need it for radios and next gen solenoid driven synch gears.*
-Solenoid Driven Synch Gear *End game synch gear*
-Hydraulics *Next gen control surfaces*

Also I like eS's Kingfisher proposal.  A long range recon sea-plane should be it's own design: awkward and clumsy looking, but can glide at highly economical low speeds.  Nothing we have is engineered like that.  It also bundles in figuring out the radio in the design, so we'll have that to carry over (electrical systems + radio setup) for other airframes.

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